Tories liken street violence to "The Wire"

By Stefano Ambrogi

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's streets have become so blighted by violence, gangs and drugs under 10 years of Labour rule that some areas resemble the nightmare world of the hit U.S. cop show "The Wire," according to the Conservatives.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling says an urban war is being waged between gangs in many inner cities.

"Over the past decade, violence in our society has become a norm and not an exception," he said in extracts of a speech to be delivered on Tuesday.

Grayling said the culture of violence and broken family life, a feature of U.S. cities a generation ago, is now widespread in Britain.

"The same is true of the culture of deprivation, harm, addiction and failure that is a feature of the worst US urban areas," he said.

"It's the world of the drama series 'The Wire' -- a series that tracks the nightmare of drugs, gangs and organised crime in inner city west Baltimore," he added.

"It's a horrendous portrayal of the collapse of civilised life and of human despair."

He highlighted areas such as Speke in Liverpool where he said violent crime and arson are up by more than 50 percent in a year.